Hey guys!
I took Chinese 3 in freshmen year. I also self studied AP Chinese and got a 3 on the actual exam. Should I report the 3 on the AP exam or will the course Chinese 3 be sufficient?
Aiming for top colleges
I’m Chinese but not a native speaker.
So you self studied and got a 3. That’s not a great score for “top” colleges. In practice your “typical” top college would expect a 5 and maybe a 4 to give you credit for an AP. The 3 is analogous to a college grade of C. I recommend that you not report it.
A foreign language AP score of 3 may be considered a higher level of proficiency than completion of a high school level 3 course in the same foreign language, though it depends on the high school and college involved.
Depending on the college, foreign language AP scores may give different levels of placement for 5, 4, 3, or even 2 scores, unlike many other AP scores where either you get credit or placement for meeting a threshold score or get nothing otherwise. It is also possible that the college’s foreign language department disregards AP scores and does its own placement testing instead.
Which would better meet the college’s requirement/recommendation for foreign language? Most of my target colleges require 3 and recommend 4 btw.
I am planning on learning Spanish in college so placement is not an issue
Either is fine for the 3 year recommendation.
In which case, a 3 on the AP exam may or may not meet the 4 year criteria; you’d be better off asking the colleges in question. Chinese 3, of course, would not meet the criteria.